A c35s01
Info Absolution (Summary - List of stories) . The Murdered Albatross << previous act | Act 4 of 4 | next act >> Finishing What Was Started << previous chapter |''' Chapter 35 of 39 | next chapter >> << previous scene | '''Scene 1 of 2 | next scene >> Summary * Location: *Participants: *Time: *Summary: Text Antares glanced apprehensively over at Cowlick as they stood in the hangar containing the completed probe, asking anxiously: "Shouldn't we be... you know, in the safe place behind the super-thick glass?" "Don't be such a goddamn coward. I don't have to be here, but look at me, here anyway to support you, because you agreed to hang out here, Mir. Now do you want to go to Clockwork World or not?" Cowlick asked waspishly, and Antares grimaced before he looked nervously over the probe: the steel cradle gleamed brightly, filled with countless shining gemstones of varying shape and size, all surrounding that enormous core. Rods and supports fed down into rune-covered tiles that thrummed faintly with power, and had been further reinforced by a border of steel. Then his eyes roved upwards, looking awkwardly at the ceiling above: Cowlick had set up some kind of dish with a large, crystalline antennae, and massive cables held in place by oversized staples lined roof, feeding down into a steel box beside Cowlick. The engineer was glaring at him, an unlit cigarette standing out of her muzzle and grease-stained coveralls on: both of these were bad signs. "I know you need a unicorn, but... why me? Celestia is right there, and... I mean, there are academy unicorns who are way better at this stuff than me, and..." "Because if something goes wrong, Celestia has to save us." Cowlick replied mildly, jerking her head towards the plated glass: glass that hadn't been repaired or replaced despite several large cracks through it since their first attempt at starting this up. Behind it, Celestia looked apprehensive, although at least Greece seemed confident. He could also see Meadowlark, Avalon, and Aphrodisia, the latter two females looking a bit too eager for his liking. "Look, kid, it's going to work. It screwed up last time because I misinterpreted what the Strange Ones built that channeling altar for. It's not to record the signal, it's just to further amplify it, make it nice and loud so we actually can pick it up. Now with your freaky mind powers-" "I don't have freaky mind powers." Antares said flatly, looking grumpily at Cowlick, and then he winced when she glowered at him, holding up his hooves. "Can we please move a little slower, here, Cowlick I still-" "Oh stop whining, you've been on holiday for a month." Cowlick grumbled, and Antares sighed and closed his eyes, not knowing if he should argue or not: he knew that Rustproof's loss still ached for her, like how he hurt to think about Prestige, but this was also Cowlick's peculiar way of... moving forwards, and making sure no pony was left behind. "Listen, that dish is going to catch the signal as it's emitted, translate it into data. It'll transmit those coordinates to that box there, which has a memory crystal inside it. Said crystal will capture that translated data... or should at least. There's a lot of chaos theory involved in this stuff that Ross says makes perfect sense, but I have no idea how the hell this all works, so... you're the backup plan." "Great." Antares mumbled, then he rubbed slowly at his head, adding dryly: "I basically stand here, right?" "Right. Remember, last time we powered this up, every unicorn in Ponyville got a fuzzy feeling. Even though that room behind us has lead-lined walls, you and Celestia were both almost knocked on your butts by it." Cowlick replied, nodding before she became more serious, saying in a gentler voice: "Kid... don't be a hero, though. If it hurts too much, run for it, and we'll shut things down. But you are our best shot, even better than Celestia because of that way you read into stuff, you know? I don't understand your crazy unicorn stuff, but... all you gotta do is catch that charge on your horn. How hard can that be?" Antares mumbled a little at this, thinking of how difficult it had been for him to mimic even the simplest of magic done by Amdusias, and he sighed after a moment before nodding a few times. "Okay, I'll... try, at least. I know I have to try. Your machine will work though, right?" Cowlick only shrugged at this, and Antares did not like this response, wincing a little before the engineer grunted and held up a hoof. "Get ready, kid." Antares breathed slowly, looking up, shivering once before Cowlick hesitated, then asked finally, even with her hoof still raised: "Listen, are you sure you're up for this? You don't look so healthy these days, Mir. You're all skin and bones and ashen and you kind of need a shower." The young stallion blushed, looking down awkwardly for a moment, shifting and not wanting to admit that he probably wasn't in top form. Even after the time he'd spent relaxing with his friends... he kept having nightmares, awful nightmares, about Prestige, and Cancer, and worst of all... himself, what he'd become when Cancer had pushed him too far, about darkness rising up from inside him and making him into... He shivered and shook his head, then looked up and finally gave a smile, saying quietly: "I'm... I'm okay. I just haven't been taking care of myself lately, but... maybe that's just all the more reason we should find my parents, huh?" "Please tell me you aren't fantasizing about Mom and Dad taking care of you like a little foal." Cowlick said wryly, and she seemed both surprised and relieved when Antares actually laughed... and it was the rare, honest laugh that came from him these days. But the very fact he had started being able to laugh again... it was reassuring. "Okay, okay. Greece, let 'er rip!" Cowlick swung her hoof down at the same time as she spoke, and Greece nodded from behind the plated glass as Antares winced, hurriedly anchoring himself and raising his head as he snapped: "Cowlick, you can't just-" And then there was a loud crackle as a power surge burst along the meteor, before the countless gemstones that filled the cradle of the probe all began to glow, the core antennae at the center sparking with electricity as a thrum filled the air. Runes shone with iridescent, supernatural light that spilled up from the carved altar, and Antares cursed in pain as electricity sizzled over his horn before it began to glow in response to the tremendous force of energy being emitted from the probe. They had purposefully enhanced the design of the meteor to emit a signal far more powerful than necessary: it greatly heightened their chances of being able to trace the signal to the coordinates they were bound for, after all. The problem was that all that power created some very intense side-effects, not the least of which shocks of energy and force that had caused the cracks in the heavy glass and started to damage the meteor itself. Antares struggled to think, gasping in shock at how much psychic pressure he felt being exerted against his mind this close to the meteor, as images of a world he'd only briefly seen flashed violently through his mind. He saw a hulking ruin, and a castle, and a broken train bridge, and a deep dark pit, and Antares latched onto these visions and the power he felt thrumming through them, onto the thoughts of this world before Cowlick gave a loud yell as she was knocked off her hooves by a booming explosion. Antares cursed as another shockwave rippled through the area, before his eyes widened as he heard a whisper, saw gears, felt something both inside him and across time and space stir... and then the large dish above sparked before it tore loose from the ceiling and toppled down, crashing into the meteor. The probe sizzled with electricity as gemstones exploded like fireworks, rattling the dish as Antares stumbled backwards, cursing and staring at the meteor, at his one hope of reaching Clockwork World, as it shattered and energy sizzled through the air- The young stallion blinked... and frowned stupidly as he stared at the ceiling above. It looked white, and there were bright lights, and he didn't smell electricity or fire or metal before he groaned as he sat up. He looked dumbly down as he realized he was in a folding bed, before staring across from him at Cowlick as the engineer asked moodily: "So did you get anything out of that or are we back to square one?" "I... is this the clinic?" Antares asked stupidly, looking back and forth, and Cowlick grumbled before the young stallion looked across at her with shock, realizing one of her forelegs was heavily bandaged as she puffed moodily on a cigarette. "You're hurt..." "You're a genius, Antares, really. Those mental powers of yours really are just friggin' shining right about now." Cowlick said grumpily, and Antares looked at her sourly before the engineer sniffed and blew out a plume of smoke. "Since you were obviously out of it, what happened is everything basically freaking exploded. Too much electrical buildup from the meteor, and so... everything just went to hell. Celestia said she tried to copy the energy pulse but she couldn't... she was really hoping you did, but you were just drooling and staring until you-" "Dammit, Cowlick!" interrupted a voice, and Scarlet Sage stormed in through the open clinic door, the engineer wincing away before the Pegasus reached up and yanked the cigarette out of her muzzle, then crushed it out on a side table, glaring down at the earth pony. "Give me your cigarettes, you can have them back when you leave." "Why don't we just skip a whole bunch of stuff and you let me leave right now?" Cowlick asked mildly, and when Scarlet Sage only looked at her pointedly, the engineer mumbled before sighing and reaching into a side pocket, pulling out a rumpled back of smokes. Scarlet Sage took these with a grumble and tucked it into a pack at her side, and the earth pony said dryly: "I better have all eight in there when I get that pack back." "I might just throw them out now." Scarlet Sage grumbled, and Cowlick huffed before the Pegasus turned and strode quickly over to her brother's bedside, the unicorn smiling lamely at her, but she only reached up and gently checked his pulse as she asked softly: "How are you feeling?" Antares shook his head, rubbing at his face slowly before he hesitated and said quietly: "I... I think I might know where Clockwork World is." Cowlick looked up sharply at this as Scarlet Sage leaned down intently, and the young stallion frowned and reached up to touch his face, murmuring: "I'm not... entirely sure, but I felt... I felt something. Something intense, and I feel like I know the way to the world, I just have to... to... reach out, you know?" "Wait, Antares, we're doing blood work on you and Cowlick, just in case, and you came in unconscious and bleeding a little." Scarlet Sage said slowly, and then she began to shake her head, looking over the young stallion and saying quietly: "And you haven't been taking care of yourself, look at you... you should rest, and I'll get you a good meal, and-" And then Scarlet Sage winced in surprise when she felt a hoof reach into her pack, glaring over her shoulder as Cowlick yanked her cigarettes free to cradle them in her wounded limb before grunting and jerking her head at Antares as if Scarlet Sage wasn't even there, saying mildly: "Come on, let's go see Celestia, kid." "Cowlick, you can't just walk out of here!" Scarlet Sage said in a frustrated voice, rounding immediately on the earth pony as Antares winced and shrank back a bit in bed, wondering awkwardly which pony he was more afraid of. "Your blood work is still being processed, and you suffered a concussion and some extremely large lacerations, and-" "Look, me and Antares are just going to fidget and whine and make your life hell if you force us to stay, and I don't want to take the risk that whatever the kid figured out, it fades out of memory before he gets to see Celestia. Furthermore, I'm pretty sure that you're the only pony in this clinic with the balls to try and stop me from leaving." the engineer retorted, and Scarlet Sage glowered at her before Cowlick leaned forwards, adding moodily: "The emphasis is on try, by the way, 'cause I will kick your flank if you try and stop me, understood?" Slowly, Scarlet Sage rubbed at her face before muttering: "You're even worse than Pinkamena. Fine. Fine, Antares, if you feel well enough, you can go..." She halted, then reached up and squeezed his shoulder firmly, looking down into his eyes quietly. "But come and stay at the house with me and Apple Bloom tonight. We'll make you a good dinner and you can just relax, okay?" "Now if only she wasn't your sister, right, Antares? Unless you're into that." Cowlick said dryly, and Scarlet Sage looked slowly, grouchily up at the engineer, who leaned down and nuzzled into her pack of cigarettes as she muttered: "I'm nicotine-deprived, sore as hell, and about half of my facility is still in a state of 'blown-to-pieces.' You should all feel lucky I ain't running my mouth worse than I already am, since you're a stallion now and all, Antares." "I..." Antares shifted a bit, then he shook his head and smiled faintly, shaking his head as he murmured: "Not for a few months yet, Cowlick, it hasn't even really cooled down into autumn yet." "Kid, age doesn't make you an adult. If it did, Dash would have a way bigger brain and I wouldn't be popping amphetamines and drinking all the time." Cowlick replied mildly as she finally managed to pull a cigarette free from the pack, and Antares sighed before he smiled a bit as Scarlet Sage helped him out of bed, before wincing when Cowlick slapped him on the shoulder as she turned and limped towards the exit. "Now come on, let's go see Celestia. I'm starting to really believe what Luna used to say, you know, that Celestia always knows something. Mare plays her cards close and always has too many of them in her hoof, you know what I mean?" "Not at all." Antares muttered, and Cowlick only grunted as Scarlet Sage followed behind them, the young stallion adding over his shoulder to the Pegasus: "But... I'll definitely come by tonight. Is it okay if Aphrodisia wants to come, too?" "It always is." Scarlet Sage said softly, and Antares smiled a little before she sighed when Cowlick grinned wryly. "Don't say anything or I swear that I'll make your head explode." "Touchy, touchy. And here I thought you lesbians were supposed to be nice." Cowlick muttered, and Scarlet Sage grumbled under her breath as Antares simply dropped his head, following the engineer awkwardly out of the building as the Pegasus waved them moodily away. They headed towards the library, the young stallion striding up beside the limping earth pony and nervously looking at her, but Cowlick only shook her head as she rolled her unlit cigarette back and forth between her teeth, murmuring: "Don't gimme that look, Antares. I'm fine, I've had a lot worse than this happen to me... hell, Rusty... when he was young, first learning the work, engine blew up on the kid, right in front of him. Hurt him real bad, I remember... I was so scared for the poor colt. He had to spend a week in hospital..." "I remember that." Antares said softly, and he smiled a little, shaking his head slowly. "Avalon and I were so worried about him. I remember some dumb kid made fun of him, and Avalon just... zoomed over and rammed into his head and knocked him out. She got in so much trouble." Cowlick laughed and shook her head, grinning a bit as she looked up. "Yeah? Good on her. I always liked that little firecracker. Tiny little runt, but Dash is always saying how she makes him look slow and AJ never shuts up about her either, even these days. But I get that... and I know that I still talk about Rusty all the time and how much... he's always made me proud." She nodded a little, looking down before asking quietly: "How are you coping over Prestige, kid? You holding up okay? And be honest, don't give me your usual horseapples." "It's hard, but... I dunno." Antares halted, glancing over at the engineer and smiling faintly, and when Cowlick grunted at him, he added quietly: "I don't want to say I'm okay, because... I don't know if I am, and I don't know if that's the right thing to even say, you know? I'm scared of what other ponies-" "Oh, screw other ponies." Cowlick muttered, shaking her head and saying irritably: "Who cares what they think, because... because you or I ain't crying in our sheets every night. I don't give a rat's ass what anypony thinks about how I should or shouldn't remember my son... I'm remembering him my way, and I'm moving forwards with life. And nopony loved that boy more than me and Ross did, not one, but I ain't gonna turn into some sad sack over the fact he's gone. He's supposed to be in a better place, right? He hated to see me crying, right? Then I want him to know that I'm happy. I'm goddamn happy, because that's all my kid wanted for me, wanted for the world. Screw wasting time being sad. You don't have to be sad to honor and respect and remember the people you've lost." Cowlick shook her head violently... and then she winced when Pinkamena all but materialized beside her, grinning as she tilted her head towards the engineer and said mildly: "Careful, Cowlick, you keep talking like that and you'll end up sounding just like an angrier version of Slippers." "Yeah, well, I don't go around screwing everything, do I?" Cowlick asked mildly, and Pinkamena gave the engineer a sour look before the demon reached out and swiped her cigarettes away, Cowlick halting in the road with an outraged shout. Antares sighed as Pinkamena shoved a cigarette in her muzzle, then rolled her eyes and pushed the cigarettes a little too hard back into Cowlick's wounded foreleg, making the engineer wince as the demon said moodily: "Anyway, dyke. I'm here because Princess Sunshine is looking for you and Antares, but I see you two are on the way anyway. She got a message from Kvasir about Clockwork World: apparently they have an idea of where it is from that last signal. And oh, Antares, by the way: if you don't let me come with you, I'm going to gut you like a fish and eat your intestines." "Yes, Aunt Pinkamena." Antares said tiredly, shaking his head slowly, and the demon looked grumpy at this lack of response before the young stallion glanced up and said quietly: "Dad was really that important to you, huh?" Pinkamena only grumbled, and then Cowlick snorted in amusement before she glanced up at the sky as she started to limp down the dusty road again, murmuring: "Gotta admit though, kid. It'll be nice to have your parents back... and with all the hype and stuff in the air, I can't help but feel and hope that you're right. I mean I always hoped, but... it felt like a wild hope before, you know? Now... now I almost believe a hundred percent myself that they must be out there somewhere, waiting for us." Antares smiled a little, nodding slowly before the engineer smiled a bit, looking forwards as she said quietly: "Yeah. Your Mom and Dad were great damn ponies, Antares. I'm eager to see both of 'em, but especially Luna... she was always so damn fun. Your Dad was more of a creepy dude." Pinkamena grunted in agreement, and Antares smiled and shook his head as the trio continued onwards towards the library, crossing the square at a slow pace as Cowlick grumbled and limped moodily along. The demon pulled ahead when they reached the door, kicking it open to stride inside and announce loudly as Celestia looked up from the table: "I brought the losers back with me." "Did the CIA blow up their helicopter and leave them for dead?" asked Discombobulation mildly, the Draconequus leaning over Celestia and grasping her shoulders lightly, and the ivory mare smiled slightly even as the chimerical creature added in a loud whisper: "Clearly that stands for the Celestia Intelligence Agency. Alas, betrayal. Always a great way to jump-start a bloody revenge story." Pinkamena grunted in agreement as Cowlick limped in and Antares followed behind her, and the Baroness leaned forwards with concern, saying quietly: "Cowlick, it looks like you should rest..." "Screw it, I'm fine. Besides, better to be out of that damn clinic and away from your niece. She bugs me. She's way too nice for someone who can kill people by touching them. If I could kill people like she could I'd be a royal pain in the ass all the time because no one could say boo to me about it." Cowlick grumbled, then she pulled her cigarette out of her mouth, holding it up and asking mildly: "Anyone got a light?" "Smoke, smoke, smoke that cigarette." Discombobulation remarked dryly, and then he flicked his wrist, a lighter appearing in his metallic hand. He began to lean forwards as he clicked it open... then he cleared his throat at the flat look Celestia gave him before she turned her moody eyes on Cowlick, who winced and sat back as the Draconequus mumbled: "Well, they are bad for one's health and all, yes. And without libraries what have we? We have no past and no future." Cowlick mumbled a little in response to this, before Pinkamena pulled her own cigarette out of her muzzle and said dryly: "You, Bob, are officially now a bigger suck-up than sissy. Not that I can really blame you. You ever beat him, Princess Sunshine? Your brother seems to like it." Celestia only sighed as Antares winced and looked awkwardly at Pinkamena, before the ivory mare replied dryly: "I wish you would really keep the details about your so-called 'games' with my brother to yourself. It's bad enough when Sleipnir decides to tell me about them." "At least I'm not like your sister. She used to beat Scrivy in front of everyone all the time." Pinkamena replied mildly, and Antares visibly winced again before the demon grinned widely, winking over at the young stallion. "Oh don't worry, Antares, your Dad seemed to like it. Then again, there were a lot of twisted things he liked, which is why me and him got along so well." "Okay, okay, okay, you've made your point, please... stop trying to scar me for life." Antares mumbled, but Pinkamena only snorted in amusement in response to this. "Kid, if I wanted to scar you for life, I'd light up this cigarette or use my teeth." Pinkamena replied derisively, and then she strode towards the table, adding moodily: "Anyway, Princess Sunshine. We're clear that I'm part of the first strike, right?" "I take it that you have some good news of your own, then, Antares?" Celestia seemed surprised all the same as she glanced towards the young stallion, who smiled and nodded hesitantly. The ivory winged unicorn tilted her head curiously, studying him in the awkward silence that followed before she prompted gently: "You were able to..." Antares hesitated a moment longer, biting his lower lip before he said finally: "I think I... know the way to Clockwork World. I can't explain it completely but... I saw images in my mind, and felt like something... inside me responded to something... on the other side. Do... do you think that maybe... Mom or Dad..." He fell quiet, and Celestia softened, studying the young stallion before she leaned forwards and asked quietly: "What did you see, Antares?" "Darkness and mire, and... a big castle. I think it was Canterlot once, but now it was just ruins... metallic, ancient ruins." Antares said softly, looking down and nodding slowly before he closed his eyes. "A broken bridge, and... a deep, dark pit. My instincts tell me that the last is really important... that it's where we have to go. The end of that path on the map..." Celestia nodded back, studying him, and the young stallion murmured: "And I feel like... there's this thin, frail connection right now, between me and Clockwork World... like something inside me is stretching out towards it, and something else is reaching back to me. It feels so weird, and it's so hard to describe... it's like... a wire." "Or a string. Specifically, puppet-string." Pinkamena muttered darkly, and Antares frowned at this before the demon said distastefully, glancing towards Celestia with eyes that betrayed a strange, sudden nervousness: "We never figured out whether or not it was Valthrudnir behind all this, did we?" "Scrivener and Luna both believed it wasn't Valthrudnir behind everything. I believe they were right... and either way, if he had survived, we likely wouldn't be here right now." Celestia replied calmly, shaking her head as Antares shifted uncomfortably and Cowlick looked up with a grimace. "Okay then, Princess Sunshine. Here's another thought. What about Gymbr?" Pinkamena tilted her head, moodily leaning forwards over the table as her gaze locked with the Baroness' own. "Whatever the hell that thing was I still don't know, but we do know that he liked to play games, and he didn't like playing fair. What if Gymbr has been sitting pretty these ten years, building some new nasty empire, waiting for us to come to him? Waiting, maybe specifically, for Antares, with the way he seemed to haunt him for all those years." But Antares shook his head slowly, murmuring: "It isn't Gymbr. At his core, Gymbr was... lost, and alone, and... sad. He didn't want to be what he had become, how with all his power, he was still only a destroyer... he was the opposite of Cancer." Antares grimaced a bit, then he rubbed slowly at his face as he felt a shiver run down his spine, heard Cancer's chuckling in his mind, remembered the broken body of the monster sprawled over the ground... and worst of all, remembering that feeling of standing over him, grinning and burning him and making the monster scream and cry for mercy and relishing it... Pinkamena struck the back of Antares' head lightly, and the glossy-black stallion winced and shook his head hurriedly. Celestia only tilted her head a bit, and the young male said quietly: "I'm sorry. I just got... caught up in bad memories for a minute there. But I think if we work together to open the Bifrost, Aunt Tia, I can give you the coordinates. I think I remember how to... combine my magic with other unicorns. I just don't know how well I'll handle such a big spell. I'm scared your magic could just overpower mine completely, since I'm no good at stuff like that." "You just need to believe more in yourself, Antares. Your mother would be proud to see you using her magic... and prouder still to see you learning to do without it." Celestia replied quietly, smiling a little and shaking her head slowly. "But no, our magic works well together because... its distinct, yet similar. Like..." She smiled, glancing over her shoulder at Discombobulation. "Bob and I." "It's weird is what it is." Pinkamena muttered, glancing moodily over at the two as Cowlick grunted in agreement. "Both the fact that little prince's magic apparently contains so much positive energy and the fact that you and him are all..." "She's Big Barda and I'm Mister Miracle." Discombobulation said informatively, and then he paused and added thoughtfully, as Celestia looked back at him with amusement while the Draconequus squeezed lightly into her shoulders: "I like that name a lot because I really don't have to go ahead and explain to you that she's this Amazonian giantess who likes to beat on things." "Yes, that describes me well." Celestia said mildly, and Antares smiled a little as he shook his head slowly before the ivory mare hesitated, then studied the young stallion before she asked quietly: "Do you feel the connection strengthening or weakening?" Antares hesitated, and then he shook his head slowly, reaching up and touching his own chest thoughtfully as he murmured: "No. It feels like... like something woke up in my mind. It's weird... it's like there was something there all along that knew the way, but... it just needed the right boost. And I guess I got that from being so close to the meteor." The winged unicorn studied him silently, and then she nodded slowly before asking finally: "How are you doing physically?" "I... I'm okay." Antares nodded hesitantly, stretching out his leathery wings with a wince and flapping them once before furling them back at his sides. "Backaches as usual, but nothing new. I just feel... you know. Not exactly happy." Antares laughed a little despite himself, shaking his head slowly before he began to close his eyes, but they snapped back open in surprise when Celestia said quietly: "Then we leave tomorrow. Take the rest of today to rest and get ready, Antares. I'll get everyone together and have our supplies and equipment put together." "You can't do that! I can't run the goddamn Bifrost like this!" Cowlick flailed her wounded limb, looking outraged even as she winced. "And goddammit, I deserve to be part of that team and-" Celestia glanced over at her, horn glowing brightly, and Cowlick hissed in pain as a golden aura surrounded her limb. Steam hissed up from the bandages as Antares and Pinkamena stared, and Discombobulation winced back, before the engineer wheezed loudly and grabbed at her foreleg as the glow died down, the winged unicorn saying calmly: "I've fused the worst of the damage back together. It won't be pretty and the stitches should remain in, but the graft should all the same hold." Cowlick reached up and winced a bit as she peeled away a bit of smoldering bandage, muttering under her breath before saying dryly: "Not that I'm ungrateful or anything, Baroness, but... oh holy hell what did you do to me?" The engineer stared as she drew back some of the bandaging, looking at the marred, faintly-pulsing scar tissue and burnt skin around a large, deep cut that had sealed almost completely closed. She winced away from the sight instinctively, then poked at her leg a little as Celestia said quietly: "Cauterization mixed with a simple healing spell. It stings and it doesn't look pleasant, but you'll be able to make the run." "Well, Tia, that may have been just a touch unnecessary." Discombobulation said pointedly, and Celestia shifted awkwardly before the chimerical creature added moodily: "But then again, it's not like you have any X-Potions available, either. I've always wondered how those work, really. I mean, do you drink them, or do you splash them all over yourself?" "No, no, it's fine. Damn, though, feels stiff." Cowlick muttered, flexing her foreleg with a wince before she half-tucked the bandages back closed. Then the engineer grinned awkwardly over at Celestia, rubbing slowly at the slightly-seared cloth as she added: "You... might want a bit more tact there, but... yeah, I appreciate it." The ivory winged unicorn smiled after a moment, but Antares was only continuing to almost nervously study his aunt: he could see the almost glow that had lit up in her eyes, the trembles in her body, the smallest of fidgets in the way she moved one hoof back and forth unconsciously along the tabletop. Her ephemeral mane gave short, faint pulses, and she was breathing unevenly... but most telling of all, Antares thought, was the way that Discombobulation was leaning back from her, with one hand gripping into her shoulder as he gazed at her with apprehension and concern. Antares hesitated, then he asked quietly: "Are... are you sure, Aunt Tia? I'm... I want to do this too, but... it looked like late afternoon outside, and-" "Tomorrow would be best." Celestia said quietly, her eyes shifting quickly towards Antares, focusing in on him: and when she next spoke, he heard both her words, and the words beneath her words. "I don't want to wait any longer: the best course of action is to head as soon as possible towards Clockwork World. I would want to leave immediately, Antares, if it was possible, but I understand that we'll require the aid of others and... they have a right to take part in this mission, too." Celestia stopped, then shook her head and said quietly: "But you should go and speak to your mother, Antares. Let her know what's going on." Antares shifted apprehensively, and then he slipped out of his seat as Pinkamena moodily stepped forwards and said quietly: "Better be careful. It's a slippery slope you're on." The young stallion smiled faintly, not entirely sure who Pinkamena was talking to, and yet he knew it was true for them both. Inside him, after all, warred a thousand emotions: and what truly had him scared, as he headed for the back steps of the library, was the fact that he suddenly was so afraid of the idea of going to Clockwork World that he almost wished he could just hide away, and leave some other pony to do all the hard work of bringing his parents back to him. Antares headed up to the guest room, where even now, Twilight was cloistered... but he smiled softly when he stepped through the door and saw that at least she was sitting up in bed, with Burning Desire resting in an armchair he'd dragged up into here at some point. The fiery stallion glanced up with a quiet laugh as the Lich put down the book she had been reading, gazing quietly across at Antares with a violet eye and a socket filled with unnatural blue fire, murmuring: "It's good to see you. Did I hear what I think I did?" The glossy-black unicorn smiled faintly as he strode forwards, nodding a little as he studied her silently: even as Twilight Sparkle had gotten stronger over the last month, her damaged phylactery meant her body didn't have the same cohesion it once did. She was emaciated where purple coat still clung to her frame, and one foreleg was nothing but bleached bones; likewise, half of her features were nothing but bare skull, with those strange, shimmering flames burning in one socket. And yet looking at her, Antares saw only his mother: saw only a loving, wonderful, kindhearted mare as he sat quietly down on the edge of the bed, then reached out to gently take one of the Lich's hooves in both his own, making her smile. "Yeah. I'm... I'm really worried, though, Mom. I... I mean, I'm anxious, and I'm excited, but at the same time I'm so scared that... what if I do find them, and they..." "Antares, they're going to be so proud of you. So truly, incredibly proud." Twilight soothed, putting her book aside before she glanced over at Burning Desire, adding softly as the demon smiled faintly: "And you and I still have the week together, Burning... I'm not going to ask you to go to Clockwork World on my behalf, when... we both know what it means." "Yes, we do." Burning said softly, and then he shook his head before adding in a quiet, firm voice, pride and tenderness overwhelming the sorrow in his eyes: "But my sweet violet... I would gladly, gladly go if you requested it. To protect your son, and to help... bring you back the happiness that I know I can't give you myself. And besides, it's only right that I meet these ponies and make sure they're everything you say they are. I'm very protective of you, even if you protect me more often than I succeed in protecting you." "I know. I know, and I appreciate it, and... I care about you, deeply. And we're going to make the most of this week... I have enough strength for that, even with my phylactery still bleeding energy." Twilight smiled, then she glanced towards Antares and softened at the look of concern on his features. "No, it's okay. I'm still anchored, it's just... why I'm healing so slowly, and why I haven't really been able to properly recover from... what happened. My essence regenerates faster than it bleeds into the air, so... you honestly don't have to worry." "I'm always going to worry." Antares said softly, squeezing her hoof gently before he looked at the side table where the pieces of her phylactery laid. For a moment, he felt a tremor of pain... and then he closed his eyes before saying quietly: "When I bring Mom and Dad back... are they going to be able to help fix you, too?" "I think so. I hope so... Celestia made me into a Lich with Gymbr's guidance and assistance, but it was Luna's realm of magic that I used to bind myself to the music box. Once I'm stronger, and if I have Luna helping me... I can create a new phylactery." Twilight hesitated, opened her mouth... then simply smiled and shook her head, casting off whatever she had been about to say as she suggested quietly: "Why don't you go out to the cottage, get your things together, and then come back here? We'll go out for dinner tonight." She looked over at Burning Desire softly, and the fiery stallion smiled a little before Antares laughed and shook his head. "Apple Bloom and Scarlet Sage already invited me over for dinner with them... I know, Mom, let's ask them too, or maybe have you two can come with me. And probably Apps, I'm going to look for her, too." "I'll go and find out!" Burning Desire said cheerfully, before Twilight could reply, and then the demon burst into flames that whirled into his firebird shape, flying quickly out of the room as Twilight sighed and rolled her eyes, but smiled in amusement all the same. Antares smiled lamely as well, and then the Lich softened as she reached a hoof up, stroking slowly through his mane before she said quietly: "I love you, Antares. You're my son. And I hope that I can still be Twilight-Mommy to you even after Luna and Scrivy are back." "Well I'm not going to call you 'Twilight-Mommy' but you are my mom still. You always have been. You always will be a mother to me, and I'll always be your son... and I love you too. Without you, I'd... I'd be a lot dumber." Antares replied with a faint smile, and the violet mare smiled softly back before Antares quietly leaned forwards and gently kissed her forehead, the Lich closing her eye with a touched look on her face. "Take care, okay? I'll be back soon, but I know that I should go and get my things from the cottage, you're right. I gotta be ready for tomorrow." "Good, Antares. You go ahead, and I'll meet up with you tonight, one way or the other." Twilight replied softly, and then she gazed silently after the young stallion as he turned and left with a last smile over his shoulder, the Lich quieting as she reached up and rubbed at her face slowly before murmuring: "You'll bring them back, Antares. I know you will." Category:Transcript Category:Story